By Guy Page

The IRS has announced in a court settlement that churches and other houses of worship may now endorse political candidates to their congregations.

The agreement, dated July 7, resolves a lawsuit in federal court in which the National Association of Religious Broadcasters and some churches sued the IRS over its interpretation of the Johnson Amendment, which until now has been understood to ban political endorsements from the pulpit. Under the settlement, the IRS states that:

“The proposed consent judgment is based on the best reading of the Johnson Amendment, respectful of constitutional principles, and for those reasons both eminently reasonable and in furtherance of the public interest…..The Founders envisioned a Nation in which religious voices and views were integral to a vibrant public square, and in which religious people and institutions were free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or retaliation by the Federal Government.”

This decision has removed a key restriction in the decades-old ban on political activity by tax-exempt nonprofits.

Free concert in Fairlee Thursday – Amos Lee will perform a free public concert Thursday July 10 at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT.  The concert will be held on the golf course. Seating is open, bring chairs and blankets.  Food and beverages will be available through the resort. 

Lee has recorded five albums on Blue Note Records and has toured as an opening act for Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Van Morrison, John Prine, Dave Matthews Band, Adele, the Zac Brown Band, Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers, and David Gray. His music has appeared on the soundtracks of numerous TV shows and movies. He has performed as a featured artist on the PBS series Bluegrass Underground, on several late night TV shows, and at a voter registration rally for Barack Obama. In 2011, his album Mission Bell debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The resort is holding a free concert series as a way of saying thank you to its neighbors for their support during the pandemic.  

Daily newspaper suspends operations – The Eagle Times, based in Claremont NH and also serving the Springfield VT area, has suspended operations, citing financial difficulty, per an announcement made a week ago Monday, the Journal-Opinion reports via a Valley News story. 

“The announcement comes three weeks after the newspaper ceased printing its three-days-per week print edition, which Eagle Times owner Jay Lucas attributed to the sudden departure of key employees last month,” the Valley News reports.

Home Health & Hospice earns 5 Stars – The University of Vermont Health Network Home, Health & Hospice attributes the organization’s recent 5 Star rating from Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS).

The organization provides home help and hospice services. 

Hospice is a service, according to a spokesman, that is under-utilized in Vermont. Studies show that only 47% of Vermont residents with Medicare at the time of their death accessed hospice services in the last year of life. And those who do elect to enter hospice care do so, on average, at the very end of their lives. “We’re called at the brink of death. It’s a missed opportunity. We can help people make the most of whatever time they have left – giving them the precious gift of quality time,” Meredith-Mitchell said.